The Effect of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on the Pulmonary Function among Inactive Male Individuals

Abstract

A spirometer is an important instrument in the assessment of the lung functions. FVC, FEV1, MVV and ratio of FEV1/FVC are indicators of strong respiratory function that deteriorate due to a sedentary lifestyle. Prolonged aerobic exercises are thought to improve aerobic capacity and to have a favorable effect on lung function. Thus, the main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of such aerobic exercise for three weeks, specifically continuous treadmill running, on lung function (FVC, FEV1, ratio of FEV1/FVC, and MVV) in inactive yet healthy male individuals. For this study, 72 inactive male individuals were given a pulmonary function test. The test was performed three times for each session (starting with five minutes and increasing by ten minutes every three sessions, up to a maximum of 25 minutes), and its mean value was used for analysis. Exercise was performed three days a week for three weeks. The Wilcoxon test was done to determine changes pre- to post-test. Repeated-measure analyses were used to compare the changes of pulmonary values between high-intensity sessions. Spearman correlation rho was conducted to assess association between MVV, FVC, and FEV1, and the Friedman test was used to compare the mean ratio of FEV1/FVC before and after exercise of different intensities. FEV1, MVV and a ratio of FEV1/FVC were significantly improved after high-intensity aerobic exercise of different intensities. In addition positive relation of MVV with FEV1 improvements was found. In contrast, there were insignificant improvements in FVC before and after exercise of different intensities and with no positive relation of MVV improvements. The improvements in MVV could reflect subtle changes in lung function or airway reactivity not detected by the FVC test. In addition, higher exercise intensity or longer duration may be needed to affect other lung function parameters like MVV, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. Thus our results demonstrate that high-intensity aerobic exercise on the treadmill has a positive effect on the pulmonary function of inactive healthy subjects.